Best Phone Available in Canada for 2024

While Apple releases a new model of iPhone every year, the iPhone 12 is a good investment if you don’t want to upgrade your phone for at least a few years. 5G capacity brings faster speeds and more robust connectivity while the MagSafe magnetic connector is a neat feature – allowing you to attach chargers or a case and will even tell you what’s been connected through a special chip. 

Futureproofing with 5G capability, you won’t have any worries about needing to upgrade to a newer model for a few years. Coverage is still a bit patchy, but with networks in most countries rolling out 5G sooner than later, you can hold onto your phone for three or four years and this feature will become more useful as time moves forward. 

The iPhone 12 has squared-off edges, and a new ceramic shield front that apparently makes it 4x harder to break or shatter compared to earlier models. Display is upgraded to an OLED screen, while camera-wise you’re getting 12MP wide and ultra-wide features. 

If you need more storage for taking the highest resolution photos and video, the base model only comes with 64GB, so keep that in mind when deciding. 

While Huawei might be a controversial name brand for some, their phones are still available in Canada for purchase and the P30 Pro is one the best flagship phones on the market. 

The SIM tray on the P30 Pro is a unique and helpful dual-SIM that not only supports two nano-SIM cards but can be opted for use as more storage if you don’t need to utilize both SIM cards at any point. Which is a nice option that doesn’t waste space. 

Worth noting is that the P30 Pro uses nano-SD cards – a new expandable memory format pioneered by Huawei itself – which are even smaller than regular micro-SD cards and can be pricey to get a hold of if you require a new one. Huawei has stated they hope it will catch on over the next few years and with how technology keeps decreasing size, they are most likely not wrong. 

A 6.47-inch, OLED, 1080 x 2340, 398ppi pixel density, crisp display curves around the body of the phone in a beautiful design that’s similar to current Samsung handsets. For those who don’t like bezels or any type of detraction from their displays, the front-facing camera is only a small notch in the top of the screen, just enough to house the camera itself, keeping it unobtrusive. 

The quad camera system offers a 5x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom, a huge 50x digital zoom, and works amazingly well in low-light. A fingerprint scanner, wireless charging capabilities, and a decent sized battery has made the P30 Pro a real contender in the top-tanking smartphone race.  

The Samsung Galaxy S10 is a worthwhile Android choice in 2022 and remains one of the best flagship Android handsets around, even after the launch of its successor with the S20. 

A bonus (especially for Canadian users) is that with the release of the newer Galaxy Note 20, the price for the S10 has been discounted – making it more affordable than ever while remaining a top-tier device with cameras and specs that are still competitive against 2022’s newer releases. 

With the 6.1-inch Infinity-O screen enveloping nearly the entire display with a 93.1% screen-to-body ratio, the only thing you might notice is the front-facing camera that’s been ‘punch-holed’ into the top right corner. All of the important sensors are hidden behind the bright Super AMOLED display. 

Samsung’s Galaxy S10 features a triple-lens camera to take normal, telephoto, and ultra-wide photos.

Google’s Pixel 6, the newest 2022 update to the Pixel line has been released and takes over for the Pixel 4. 

With an updated AMOLED screen compared to the Pixel 4’s OLED design, making it even more crisp and clear that the already impressive past line-ups of Google’s phones. The difference between AMOLED and OLED is that the AMOLED has thin strips of thin-film transistors behind each pixel, allowing for clearer quality images. OLED does have a reputation to have darker blacks and higher contrast – so if that bothers you, you may want to stick with a non-AMOLED phone. 

The HDR support, 90hz refresh rate, scratch-resistant glass, ambient light sensor, and proximity sensor is all the same as the Pixel 4 – however the Gorilla Glass that protects your screen is upgraded from Gorilla Glass 5 to Gorilla Glass Victus. 

Tensor is the system chip, compared to the old Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, and RAM is 8GB instead of 4GB, allowing you to run games and applications much quicker. 128GB is the internal storage size now as well – and like the other models, is not expandable. 

The dual camera is 50 MP instead of 12.2, and the second camera has a 12 MP Ultra Wide instead of the previous 16 MP telephoto lens. More megapixels don’t always equal higher quality, as the ultra wide is perfect for landscape shots and other images of the sort. 

Known for their computer components, gaming setups, and laptops, the ASUS ROG line manages to bring to the table a great gaming phone that also excels as a regular smartphone. Fast speeds and large battery make it a good smartphone for anyone looking for more power. 

The Asus ROG 3 is clearly marketed towards gamers, but compared to the previous two ROG phones, this one has a cleaner back and sleeker design overall, ditching the bright orange accents for a transparent cooling chamber with fewer sharp lines. 

While the phone is housed in Gorilla glass and aluminum rails on the side, the vent on the back makes it so that it isn’t IP certified. While it will hold up against some rain or water, it’s recommended to be careful with the phone in wetter circumstances or bad weather. 

Due to the motherboard device and modem taking up space, the bottom has no headphone jack, and an off-centre USB-C port. The left side of the phone has a dual-socket USB-C port along with a SIM card tray, which allows for optimal positioning in landscape mode. The port however was more-so made for the AeroActive Cooling Fan 3, which is included with the phone purchased in most regions. 

The AeroActive fan helps cool the device, especially while using X-Mode, which stabilizes use so that you don’t drop framerates while gaming. The right side of the phone has Air Triggers besides just the usual volume and power buttons, which allow you to use them like triggers if playing games like shooters. 

With a glass and metal design that provides a strong and sturdy feel without being overly heavy, the Samsung Galaxy A70 is a good mid-range device for anyone that wants a premium looking phone with great specs for a cheaper price tag. 

 One of the A70’s best qualities is that it sports a large 6.3-inch display, with a colourful and bright saMOLED panel and a HD 1080 by 2400 resolution that provides a great experience for anyone whether you’re watching videos or taking photos. It also has an in-display fingerprint scanner for secure logins and authentications. 

It comes with three rear cameras, with the main one being a 32MP lens, followed by the 8MP ultra wide angle, and a 5MP camera with depth for portrait mode effects, like making the background blurry for those smoother shots. On the front, there’s a 32MP front-facing camera that keeps images crisp and smooth without losing any detail or adding grain for selfies. 

Specs wise, it’s a great mid-range phone that has a sizeable battery that supports 25W fast charging if you find yourself running low, an octo-core Snapdragon 675 chipset, 6GB or 8GB of RAM depending on your preference, and 128GB of storage that can be upgraded using a microSD card – the A70 supports cards up to 512GB in size. 

With the mid-range smartphone selections becoming more crowded as manufacturers are always coming out with the best for decent prices, Samsung’s A70 is a good choice for anyone that wants a basic but great smartphone that will last for years, and still has great specs that won’t need upgrading every single year. 

If you’re in the market for a phone that can handle all manner of drops, falls, dust, water, and still be working after the day is done, then the Ulefone Armor 8 is a smartphone that you might want to check out. 

This smartphone is built with a glass screen, aluminum back with rubber, and a sturdy aluminum frame to encase it all. It’s drop resistant from 1.2 metres/4 feet, IP68 dust/water resistant up to 1.5 metres for 30 minutes and is MIL-STD–810G certified. Ensuring that it’s durable enough to handle nearly everything you can throw at it, whether it’s dusty trails, a quick swim, muddy drives, or anything in between. 

The 6.1-inch screen isn’t small, but one caveat is that it has a resolution of 720 by 1560 pixels, meaning that if you’re watching videos or playing games, you might not have the highest definition viewing. That aside, it has 4GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage, and a Hybrid Dual-SIM slot. This smartphone is capable of doing some gaming sessions and video watching without compromising battery life or performance too much. 

Camera-wise, the Ulefone Armor 8 holds up well for being a cheap phone, sporting a 16MP wide rear facing lens camera, a 5MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth lens while the front-facing camera has an 8MP lens. For the cost of the phone, you don’t get these kinds of specs too often, if at all. It’s an attractively balanced phone for those who need something sturdy and cheap, but still need a useable everyday phone as well. 

With Samsung having learned from their previous venture into smartphone flip phones, they really knocked it out of the park with upgrading to the Galaxy Flip 2. 

It has a surprisingly large 6.7-inch screen, with the glass being only 30 microns (0.03mm) thick, which is produced in Germany for Samsung. The special ultra-thin glass is made with a process that enhances flexibility and durability, making it tough but still fragile. 

A rear-facing 12MP wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle sensors take great photos during most light conditions, and the 10MP front-facing camera lens is both great for selfies and video calling. A feature that the Galaxy Z Flip shares with Samsung’s S20 phones is the Single Take camera mode that allows you to take up to 10 photos and four videos when you select it and then press and hold the record button. 

The star of the show for the Galaxy Z Flip is, of course, the flip aspect of it. The hinge has been re-engineered and is not only sturdy but feels solid and works more like a laptop hinge as opposed to a spring-loaded flip like what older flip phones employed. The hinge can be opened and left at any degree, making it useful for setting your phone up a certain way to watch videos, or moving it however you please while the screen will still work as a single unit depending on what you’re using. 

Samsung added more fibers to the hinge section as well to stop dust or anything else collecting within the section. A caveat of this phone is that overall, it isn’t secure against water or drops, though when it’s flipped close it seems to be able to handle more of a fall.

With LG’s newest smartphone, the G8S ThinQ is a great quality phone with a sleek design that has an incredible audio output for its size and price point, especially considering most smartphones in general don’t have great audio output without sounding tinny or cheap, this one is worth looking into. 

Featuring a 6.1-inch display, 1,440 by 3,120-pixel resolution, HDR10 compatibility, and a 100-percent DCI-P3 wide colour range. The screen is colourful and bright, and even though it has a brightness peak of 600 nits, it’s still crystal clear while reading or taking photos outside. Previous generations of LG’s phones that had OLED displays had many reviews where users suffered burn-in image problem, but so far the G8S ThinQ hasn’t seemed to have any reported problems yet. 

The back of the phone has no camera bump, making it entirely sleek and flat. The only issue being with that is that when you put it down, it most likely will slide if your phone isn’t in a case. The standard camera is a 12MP sensor, a 16MP ultra-wide lens, and a front-facing selfie lens. One pro of this phone is that you don’t need to physically touch it to change things like audio or screens. 

LG has added great speakers to the bottom of the phone and DTX 3D surround sound that provide deep bass and rounded sound, with the audio only sounding a bit tinny or boxy when it’s at the highest volume. It’s also smart enough to change depending on what you’re listening to or watching. To get the most out of the audio with the G8S ThinQ, like with all smartphones, use headphones. 

If you’re looking for an affordable and resilient phone for teens or older kids, you most likely wouldn’t think of getting them an iPhone. Standing out from the more expensive lineup, the iPhone XR is a great investment for their first phone and looks good to boot. 

Coming in an array of colours and a decently powerful spec list, the iPhone XR can handle almost anything a teen or older child would need with their first device from decent games to selfies to messengers. The iPhone XR may be an older smartphone but still stands out and has been updated to iOS 13, meaning that it runs the same software as the iPhone 11 and SE. You won’t need to upgrade this phone to a newer model within the next few years at least. 

The 6.1.-inch screen, 12MP rear camera, 7MP front camera, and an IP76 water resistance make this ideal for a first smartphone. It doesn’t have the top of the line specs but isn’t so low tier that it won’t work or operate properly like a newer phone would. 

The battery on the XR lasts all day, which is perfect for not having to carry a charger around all day or forgetting an extra charger in the morning before heading out and having to worry about it. Since most iPhones don’t tend to last all day with use, this is a steal for battery life, price, colour options, and durability. 

The iPhone SE in 2022 has one purpose, which is to offer an iPhone at the lowest price point while still including the specs and features that you know from Apple, and it doesn’t disappoint in that regard. 

Seen as a smaller iPhone due to the design and form factor when compared to newer phones that have full displays and no bezels, the iPhone SE is more lightweight and pocketable than any of the iPhone 11/12 models, and has a design similar to older iPhones with the top and bottom bezels and the Home button that has a built-in fingerprint scanner. 

Apple may have stuck with the older iPhone 8 design, but the inner specs are definitely updated for 2022 and will last for years. The new A13 Bionic chipset and the ability to update to the iOS 14 means that this phone won’t be going out of style or fall behind in updates for quite a while. 

It’s water-resistant, but lacks a headphone jack, and can suffer a bit display-wise when out in the sun or under bright lights. The single-lens camera doesn’t quite have the same bokeh effect as other phones that have multiple lenses to adjust depth, but it takes impressive photos in most scenarios, especially for the price. 

The only downside of the iPhone SE is the battery life – unless you’re rarely using it during the day, it won’t last you a full day without needing to be charged. 

For anyone older or for relatives you want to keep in contact with that don’t want an expensive smartphone, the Easyfone Prime A1 3G has you covered for everything they might need, which can make everything less stressful. 

With a 2.4-inch main screen, 1.44-inch external screen that has big icons and fonts for viewing, a 2MP camera, flashlight option, and a classic flip phone design this is an affordable and great choice for seniors or anyone that wants a basic phone with added accessibility options. It includes cutting edge m4/t4 hearing aid compatibility that’s been tested to comply with FCC and IC standards with certification. 

It has big buttons, an intuitive interface, and a long battery life that can last up to 10 days without charging if used relatively frugally, and has an added SOS button on the side that can be set with the manual, m1 and m2 dedicated direct dial keys and the number keys two to eight can be set as speed dial buttons. 

The OnePlus 7 Pro is still a fantastic competitor in 2022, a year after its release. The all-screen design with no camera cut-out stands out against the competition and the 90Hz refresh rate is a welcome addition to any phone, making scrolling and general use smoother and faster. 

One design feature that stands out the most with the 7 Pro, if not the main feature, is that there is no camera cut-out in the screen at all, instead opting for a retractable/slide-out camera module that’s set on the top of the device. OnePlus has stated that it will last over 400,000 slides or 150 photos every day for five years before it malfunctions. There’s a dust protector system in place, ensuring that nothing gets in the mechanism or scratches the camera lens. With a 48MP primary camera, 16MP wide-angle lens, and an 8MP zoom lens. 

OxygenOS is the best third-party skin on Android and OnePlus provides balance between simplicity and customization. The interface is great and lacks any bloatware at all which is great for those that don’t want to waste time deleting and uninstalling apps that drain battery or slow performance. 

The base model comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, but the better purchase is the 8GB of RAM and 256GB version for a slight price increase. Design-wise it’s just as premium and sleek as other flagship phones while still standing out above the crowd. 

Internally the hardware will be more than enough for years, as the SnapDragon 855 is an upgrade from the OnePlus 6’s SnapDragon 845 chip which still has great performance in 2022. For reference on how long and how well these phones last and hold up, the original OnePlus held out for six years before apps and the Android OS would stop updating. 

Not only a good deal pricewise, but the Motorola Moto G Power also has the best battery life of almost any smartphone in 2022, with the specs to rival most devices. 

Like its predecessor the Moto G7 Power, the Moto G Power was debuted for the same price with updated specs and even more impressive battery life. Even compared to lower end budget versions from OnePlus, Apple, and Samsung the Moto G is a steal for what it brings to the table. 

A 16MP main camera, 8MP ultra wide angle lens, and a 2MP macro lens make the rear-facing cameras on par with most handsets, while the front-facing 16MP camera rounds out the photo options that are more than enough quality for the price you’re paying or the entire phone. 

Use and battery life is the main selling point for the Moto G Power, with the 5,000 mAh battery lasting over 16 hours, more than enough for a full day even if you’re doing some gaming or take a lot of photos. The extra long battery life is great, especially taking into consideration that when you do charge this phone – it will take some time to get back to full bars. 

Running Android 10, it comes with very little bloatware and comes with the Moto app that includes tips and tricks for using your phone, such as Moto Actions that will let you quickly twist your wrist twice to launch the camera app. 

Samsung improves their original Galaxy Fold in every way with the Galaxy Z Fold 2. The original was a bold and unique concept that unfortunately had terrible execution – right out of the gate, this upgrade is an amazing device. 

The Z Fold 2 has the same shape as the original, just more refined and stable. The 6.2-inch screen unfolds to a large 7.6-inch tablet with a sturdy hinge and unlevelled ability to multitask while either being folded, open, or even a mix. It can be used as a mini laptop in a pinch if need be though the typing takes longer than using a computer keyboard. 

Improving upon the previous model, there are no gaps between the screen and body anywhere, the hinge mechanism is smooth, the 6.2-inch outer screen has a nice screen to body ratio, and apps seamlessly switch between inner and outer displays so that you don’t get frustrated waiting between opening and closing the phablet. 

A few caveats are that the inner screen isn’t waterproof and requires some special care, the crease reflection is noticeable when the hinge stays open, it can be heavy and cumbersome to carry and hold onto for long periods of time, and certain apps could raise the bar with how well they conform to the screen sizes. 

That said, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is a worthwhile investment for those who want a cutting-edge phablet with screen options if you have the money to burn and like investing in new advancements. 

An amazing battery life, great specs, and a compelling use of computational photography in a smartphone makes the Huawei P20 Pro a good choice. 

When it came out, the P20 Pro was head-to-head with the Samsung Galaxy S9 and iPhone XS, and still holds up well in 2022 as far as specs, camera, and the battery life is concerned. Although there are some Huawei quirks to get used to while using their phones as far as software and design go. The work on the camera makes the P20 Pro one of the versatile cameras out there whether you just casually snap photos or use it for business/work like taking product shots and otherwise. 

With a 40MP main sensor, 20MP black and white lens, and a 3x optical zoom 8MP camera. The front camera 24MP, more than enough for detailed selfies and fast face unlocking. Standard night shots are on par with the best, but the dedicated night shot mode can rival an APS-C DSLR camera. 

Camera aside, the rest of the phone is fairly standard – the Kirin 970 CPU, 6GB of RAM, and 1278GB storage are par for the course. The glass and metal body are sleek and hold up well to use without getting too scratched and fingerprint smudged when not in a case. 

The battery can last up to a whopping two days depending on use, and fast charges within an hour and a half. A caveat is that the display has an automatic brightness algorithm in the background that can be a bit annoying if you’re using your phone outside in the sun or in a bright room and trying to use full brightness. 

Standing out from the crowd as essentially a phablet that can even be used as a gaming device, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra knocks it out of the park if you’re a phone/tablet user that can appreciate and use all of its bells and whistles. 

Boasting a large 6.9-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, the Note 20 Ultra is nothing to sneeze at, holding its own against Apples newest iPhone 12 lineup. With 12GB of RAM, and either 128GB or 512GB of storage, an incredible 108MP wide angle rear camera, 12MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom, 12MP ultrawide lens, and a front-facing 10MP camera you’re all set for anything you wish to photograph or take videos of. 

The Note’s S Pen is responsive with enough feedback that it feels more like you’re writing with a pen on paper as opposed to smooth glass, which is good for those who dislike the feeling of writing on a screen. The S Pen also comes with Air Actions, allowing you to draw gestures in the air and have your phone return to the Home screen, or switch to a next slide if you’re using something like PowerPoint, though they don’t always seem to register or work. 

If camera ridges bother you, the Note 20 Ultra’s camera patch on the back of the phone protrudes quite a bit. The curved glass display can also get in the way sometimes with accidental screen taps while you’re simply holding the phone. 

If you want a smaller phone that can fit and function in one hand but still packs a punch in the specs department, Google’s Pixel 3 is as relevant as ever to consider buying in 2022. 

The Google Pixel 3 is an ideal smartphone for anyone that wants to step up their photo and video quality from previous models without sacrificing the convenience of being able to slip it into any pocket and going on your way. 

It has a 5.5-inch screen, and an updated 18:9 aspect as opposed to the older 16:9 display. The 12.2MP rear-facing camera and 8MP front-facing camera are both consistently good – it doesn’t over-sharpen or add noise, and what sets Google apart from other competitors is that behind the scenes it has their dedicated Pixel Visual Core chip and machine-learning software that makes the single lens cameras worth their salt. 

The battery is smaller than other larger phones which does mean that it won’t last as long as other flagship phones, but it will still last you a full day with modest use. All around it’s a stable and fast-processing phone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset and 4GB of RAM. Long-term the lower RAM might prove to be slower but for the average user, it won’t be any issue.